Democratic Party to Pursue Legislative Solution
Review of Funds and Budget Before Issuing Government Bonds
Selective Support Deemed Time-Consuming and Inefficient
Democratic Party lawmaker Sung Ho Jeong stated on June 10 that legislation should be enacted to suspend trials during a president's term in office. Jeong said, "Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae handled President Lee Jaemyung's Public Official Election Act trial with unprecedented speed in judicial history, seemingly to disqualify him as a candidate through judicial means," adding, "Since there is no guarantee that such a presiding judge will not appear again, I believe it is better to resolve this legislatively."
Appearing on CBS Radio that day, Jeong commented on the Seoul High Court's decision to suspend President Lee's Public Official Election Act trial. He said, "I believe the interpretation of Article 84 of the Constitution is absolutely clear," and explained, "When the framers first included Article 84, their intention was to ensure the stability of the incumbent president's performance of duties." Article 84 of the Constitution states, "The president shall not be subject to criminal prosecution while in office except for cases of insurrection or treason."
He went on to say, "Isn't the sitting president the highest authority of the state, directly elected by the sovereign people?" and continued, "As the head of the executive branch and the head of state, the intention was to stabilize the president's duties. Therefore, except for insurrection and treason, prosecution is not permitted. If there is an investigation and indictment, a trial would follow. But not only should the president not stand trial, any ongoing trials that have not been finalized should also be suspended."
Jeong stated, "The High Court's constitutional interpretation is so obvious that there is no issue," and added, "The Democratic Party seeks to resolve this legislatively. In the case of the president, I believe it is necessary to clarify the Criminal Procedure Act to stipulate the suspension of ongoing trials, so that the matter can be resolved cleanly through legislation."
He also said, "I believe all other courts will suspend 100% of ongoing trials as well," but noted, "If judges are replaced and new judges are assigned, they may set new trial dates and proceed with the cases. That is why we want to address and clarify this through legislative interpretation."
Regarding the new administration's top priorities, Jeong said, "Since the 12·3 Martial Law, state affairs have effectively been adrift for the past six months. Stabilizing the administration quickly so that issues of livelihood, economic recovery, and public welfare can be addressed is the most urgent matter." In particular, regarding the supplementary budget currently being pursued by the new government, he said, "Among the funds managed by the government, there are special funds, and we should also re-examine the government budget that was planned to be used this year." He added, "For any shortfall, government bonds and other measures should be considered."
On the subject of who should receive public livelihood support payments, he said, "I think supporting all citizens to boost domestic demand or consumption is necessary." He continued, "There is public opinion that even those who are relatively well-off should receive support," but also noted, "Selective support would take a lot of time, and it is difficult to accurately determine eligibility, so it is not easy." He explained that if income criteria or other standards are applied, the process of establishing and implementing those standards could delay the timing of payments.
Meanwhile, Jeong offered a cautious stance regarding the appointment of attorney Lee Seungyeop as a Constitutional Court justice, which has been raised as an issue by the opposition. He said, "I don't know whether Lee is a strong candidate or not, and this is currently in the vetting stage," adding, "The government will likely monitor public opinion trends." Attorney Lee, who has represented President Lee in related trials, has faced criticism from the opposition due to his previous involvement in cases related to the president.
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